News Release

Tuesday, October 2, 2007

Man Attempts but Fails to Drown Dog

Los Angeles: A Van Nuys man was arrested for animal cruelty yesterday after he attempted to drown the family dog for soiling the carpet.

On Monday, October 1, 2007, around 2:00 p.m., Casey Purser, 19, returned to his house in the 15300 block of Weddington Street and was reunited with his two dogs, a Shih Tzu named "Toby" and a Pitbull puppy named "Evesue". The suspect became irate with the Shih Tzu when it defecated in the house. Purser threw the dog in the bathtub and tried to drown it.

A neighbor witnessed the crime and was able to rescue Toby from the bathtub. The dog was unconscious and had stopped breathing when pulled from the water. The neighbor performed mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, saving the dog's life, and rushed him to a local veterinary hospital. The veterinary hospital resuscitated Toby with oxygen and was able to stabilize his condition.

Van Nuys patrol officers responded to the veterinary hospital and arrested Purser when he arrived to pay the vet bill.

The arrest was for 597(a) of the California Penal Code, Animal Cruelty. The Animal Cruelty Task Force is currently investigating the crime and is pursuing felony charges. If convicted, Purser could face up to three years in prison.

The Animal Cruelty Task Force is made up of Los Angeles Police Officers and Detectives, Animal Service Officers from the Department of Animal Services and Deputy City Attorney's from the Los Angeles City Attorney's Office.

Anyone with information regarding this crime is asked to call the Animal Cruelty Task Force at 213-847-1417. On weekends or during off-hours call the 24-hour toll free number at 1-877-LAWFULL (529-3855).